


The Irresistible Force Paradox

by LoserLife592



Series: my sword, my shield; my life, my dream [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Stream of Consciousness, ngl most of this is me going off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-10-03 21:11:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20459534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoserLife592/pseuds/LoserLife592
Summary: When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There's this really good fanfic called 'Asteria Nightmare' that I read years ago but thought about a lot as I word vomitted this all up. It's long with not much dialogue but it's really good. A lot of introspection.
> 
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7387687/1/Asteria-Nightmare

Zoro is an immovable object. Unwavering and solid; set in his determination and unable to be swayed. Unable to be led astray once he has pledged himself whole heartedly—mind, body, soul, and indomitable spirit—to something.

Luffy is an unstoppable force. Chaotic and unrelenting; as unapologetic as a typhon and as fierce as a wildfire. He moves forward with the uncaring ease of a man who has never—who _can never_—doubt himself. Anything in his path either clashes with, and is subsequently torn apart by his insurmountable will, or is swept up and carried along with him on his journey.

Two opposing forces of nature working parallel to one another. And when they meet—_collide_—it’s like the whole world holds its breath for a second. Seeing whether these two will tear each down, or build one another up.

* * *

There’s been 10 thousand and one stories about Luffy and Zoro and _LuffyandZoro_ and ZoLu and all that.

All kinds about Zoro’s loyalty and faith and all so there isn’t much for me to say that y’all haven’t already heard and read and seen and thought about before but.

I keep thinking about _why_ they work so well together. Sure they’re both muscle headed idiots that just get each other and will always have unwavering faith in one another, but _why_.

This, I submit, is why. They’re both two forces of nature not only on track to the impossible, but also unable to be swayed _from _the impossible.

Everyone on the crew is after something that’s ‘objectively’ or subjectively impossible. Sanji is after the fantasy All Blue. Brook wants to reunite with the last of his crew despite it being 50 years later and (at the time) being trapped in the Florian Triangle. Robin is trying to uncover the True History. Etc.

However, they can be led astray or end up pushing away their dreams. Robin gave up on her dreams twice (Alabasta and Enies Lobby), Nami stopped thinking about hers after Arlong, Franky refused to build another ship after Tom, Sanji had to be dragged kicking and screaming into leaving the Baratie, and Brook put reuniting with Laboon on hold to help Luffy. Etc.

The point is, Luffy and Zoro never once shy away from chasing after the impossible like others in the crew have done before.

(Yes I know everyone in the crew had their reasons and I’m not faulting them for it. I love them all and no one @ me).

(No I’m not saying that Brook threw away his dream for Luffy. Everyone on the crew swore life and ambition to Luffy and all I’m saying is that Brook didn’t fufill his dream of reuniting with Laboon immediately because he wanted to help Luffy—the man who saved him _and _Laboon—before then. Plus he knew Luffy would go to see Laboon again so it’s more like he decided to wait a bit before meeting up. That being said, he decided to put helping Luffy before his dream of reuniting. _No one @ me_).

And _yes_ we all already know that. Luffy and Zoro are maniacs that are more than willing to lay down their lives to whatever catches their determination. The same can be said for everyone on the crew. That’s their _thing_. They’re all impossible people after impossible goals who would die for each other and their friends.

But.

Luffy and Zoro want a different kind of impossible. Zoro wants to be strongest. For himself, for Kuina, for _Luffy_.

Luffy wants to be Pirate King. But he also wants to the strongest he can be. To _protect_ everyone. So no one ever dies again or is taken away from him.

They’re the only ones that are actually trying to get stronger as part of their goals.

No one on the crew necessarily needs to be chasing after power-up after power-up to achieve their goals. They all need to be _stronger_ but they don’t need to be the _strongest_.

Not like Luffy and Zoro.

The very foundations of their relationship begun, yes, with Luffy seeing that Zoro is a good guy, but also with them both acknowledging each other’s strength and desire to be stronger and better. To be more.

They saw that in each other and they both knew that nothing, not even death itself to could stand in the way of that.

And yes, the rest of the crew would die for their and each other’s dreams and ambitions, _but_ Luffy and Zoro can never be pulled away from it.

_Luffy and Zoro are their ambition_. They are their strength and unwavering wills and determination to be _more_. Luffy and Zoro exist on the same wavelength because they can not be themselves without their dreams.

And while everyone’s dreams help to make them who they are, especially for the Strawhats, Luffy and Zoro just can’t exist outside of theirs. Yes there’s more to them outside of that but, who are they if they are not relentlessly chasing their goals?

That’s why their relationship is different than the others. Everyone can, and has, lived life outside of and separate from their dreams. But Luffy and Zoro can’t—won’t.

Before they met Luffy, no one on the crew was following their dreams. It’s only after Luffy has come along and inspired them or unburdened them do they truly start to chase after what they really want.

Except for Zoro. He was already doing that when Luffy showed up. They just decided to join forces.

(_No one @ me about Jinbe_. As said in the actual show by actual characters who were close with him, Jinbe was living his life trying to do what Fisher Tiger and Queen Otohime wanted. Was trying to pay them homage while keeping his crew safe. He didn’t _want _to be Captain. He was content but I wouldn’t say he was happy. The first time we hear him express desire he’s saying that he _wants _to help Luffy. Aladine even says that Jinbe should go and join Luffy since this is something that Jinbe actually _wants_ to do. Also no I did not add an ‘i’ at the end of his name because _jinbei_ is a type of Japanese style clothing and I don’t like the spelling ‘Jimbei’ either. That’s my preferences and I don’t care what you do. _No one @ me_).

Their relationship is so special because they both know that the other has nothing without their dream. Nothing to dedicate themselves to, or fall back on. Not like everyone else on the crew has.

They both exist on a level of ‘Do it or Die’. Everyone else has a ‘or Go Home’ option. Albeit one they’d never use but they have it. Luffy and Zoro can’t go home. They can’t back out. They either accomplish their goals or there’s nothing left of them. Everyone else on the crew don’t _have_ to. But they want to.

The only times, as far as I can recall, that either of them truly put their dreams on hold was at Thriller Bark (Zoro), and to rescue Ace (Luffy). Zoro was willing to give up his life and dream to save Luffy and Luffy actively pursuing something other than his dream for the first time in the entire series. (He’d switched gears from ‘All things Pirate King’ to ‘Gotta save my bro’ so to speak).

None of this makes sense and there’s so much more to their relationship that I’m not going into but I’ve fixating on this so I need to talk/type it out. The posting it part is just me screeching into the void and hoping to get an echo.


	2. Electric Boogaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Back on my bullshit' haha jokes on you I never left it

I actually forgot about this while typing everything out and _knew _I was forgetting this but couldn’t remember but.

_Zoro is the only main combatant._

What do I mean by this? Zoro is the only one who’s only job is to fight and get stronger. Everyone else has another job on the ship. They don’t even really need to get stronger for their dreams. They don’t _need _to fight. I mean, they do in the sense that they need to defend themselves and all that but they don’t _have to_ keep aiming to be stronger.

Sanji is the cook, Jinbe is the helmsman, Luffy is the captain. And yes, as captain Luffy should be strong. Zoro literally says Luffy needs to be strong in order for Zoro to follow him.

_But_ Luffy doesn’t need to be a primary combatant. He doesn’t need to rush headlong into danger at the slightest sign of a fight. That’s not his _job_. His job is to lead and command.

Think of all the captains we’ve seen in One Piece. Basically all of them sit back for the most part and let their crew do the fighting. Either at the beginning and until they are needed, or for the entire fight.

Even fucking Whitebeard stood on his ship and watched shit go down until he was prompted to join the fray. _It wasn’t his fucking job to dive in immediately_.

Fuck even Luffy isn’t actively aiming to be stronger until Aokiji and CP9 where he admits that he has to get stronger in order to protect everyone and keep them safe.

Through the whole series, Zoro is basically the only Straw Hat we consistently see training to be stronger. His version of downtime? Weightlifting.

What I’m essentially saying here is this:

Zoro was always the one aiming to be the strongest. Then Luffy buckled down to be stronger.

Zoro aiming to be the strongest to achieve his dream. Luffy aiming to be stronger to protect his dream. (The crew obviously being part of his dream. There are many reasons for this but the one I’m focusing on being that Luffy knows he can’t be Pirate King without his crew).

Look, it’s 1am and I’m having feelings about One Piece again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My [ tumblr](https://fuckusernamemes.tumblr.com/)  
My [ ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/loserlife592)

**Author's Note:**

> If I come off sounding harsh then I'm sorry but I really don't want anyone to comment about me offending them somehow or misunderstanding the characters. I'm just expressing opinions and hypotheses.


End file.
